1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to infrared measurement techniques, and more particularly to the use of infrared cameras to determine attributes of building materials.
2. Related Art
As is well known, R-Values can be used to identify the resistance to heat flow exhibited by building materials. For example, insulation or other building materials may be rated by R-Values (for example, R-13, R-19, or other values), wherein higher R-Values indicate better insulation performance. In the United States, R-Values are generally expressed in English units: F*ft2*Hour/BTU. By dividing English R-Values by 5.673, the R-Values can be expressed in metric units: C*m2/W. In various applications, insulation performance may be identified by the reciprocal of R-Value, called U-Value: U=1/R.
Unfortunately, after insulation or other building materials are installed in a wall of a structure, it is often difficult to ascertain the effective R-Value exhibited by the wall. For example, after insulation is installed, it is typically hidden from view. As a result, it may be difficult to determine the actual R-Value of the insulation without at least partially damaging the wall. Moreover, because the wall's overall resistance to heat flow may depend on other wall components (e.g., drywall, siding, and/or other materials), knowing the R-Value of insulation in the wall will not necessarily provide an accurate indication of the overall R-Value exhibited by the wall. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved approach to the determination of R-Values that overcomes some or all of the deficiencies discussed above.